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Residents gather to parrol the streets of Westwood and Coldhurst
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Residents will name and shame drug dealers
Shelina Begum31/ 7/2008
RESIDENTS in Westwood and Coldhurst, Oldham have threatened to name and shame drug dealers and men who use the services of prostitutes in a bid to clamp down on crime in the area.
Over 100 men have formed a vigilante group to drive out drug dealers and prostitutes in the area as they fear an epidemic in the rise of heroin and crack use will destroy the lives of young people in the area.
The initiative, which has been lead by campaigners Nanu Miah and Salik Miah who are both volunteers at the Oldham Muslim Centre, has also been welcomed by local residents.
Said Nanu: "Drugs and prostitution is one of the biggest problems in this area and we feel as a community we had to do something about it.
"The police can only do so much but people selling drugs, those taking it and even the prostitutes think they are above the law.
"We wanted to show them that they are not wanted in the area."
The group met up at midnight the OBA Millennium Centre car park on Featherstall Road North where leaflets were also handed out to residents detailing contact names and numbers for the local police and Crimestoppers to shop in drug dealers anonymously and it also included numbers for drug rehabilitation centres and support workers for those concerned about family members who are drug users.
The group then split up and patrolled different parts of Westwood.
"We spoke to some prostitutes and told them they were not wanted in the area and to leave," said Nanu.
"We tried explaining that the lives they are leading was wrong and they were not only destroying communities but also putting their own lives at risks.
"We also warned them that we will call the police if and when we saw them and we told their punters that we know who they are and that their families will be told!"
The group informed the police of their plans and have said that they will patrol the streets once or twice a month until the local area was safe.
Said Salik: "We warned people on the streets that we will tell the mosques and even their families if they are seen approaching prostitutes or using drugs and the message to drug dealers is that we will go to the police, the local community will find out who they are and they will have nowhere to hide.
"These issues are a growing concern amongst many families in the area and it isn’t getting better.
"There are more young people taking drugs and some are robbing from their own families to fund their habits so we need to deal with the issues we have at hand and that is to catch the dealers, then there will be less drugs going out into the streets.
"We won’t sit quietly and just let the situation get worse.
"There are concerns that if we drive the drug dealers and prostitutes away from Westwood they will go to other areas in Oldham, but I suggest that there more groups like ours patrol all areas of Oldham so we can drive them out all together.
"When they realise they have nowhere to go and there is no business for them, they may stop what they are doing altogether."
He added: "When we first decided to do this, we only expected about 20 people to turn up. But when over 100 people turned up we realised the local community want action and are prepared to take the responsibility on themselves to make the lives of our young people peaceful and one that is not riddled with drugs and we commend them for that."
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We have raised about the drugs issues with different authority. However to my knowledge nothing concrete has been done about it.
Sometimes it comes across that no one cares what happens in Coldhurst area. If similar problems existed in other areas such as Saddlewort or Royton you would have many drugs agencies working with the local people and the local authority heavily investing in the area.
I would like to know what the drug agency has been doing to tackle this problem in Coldhurst area?
Drug problems exist in area like Coldhurst, Glodwick and Werneth where vast majority are from South Asian. It’s about time local authority and Drug services acknowledge this and come up with a strategy with the help and support from the local communities.
I speak to my local residents on a daily basis and there is perception that Coldhurst resident are treaded as second class citizens by the establishment. Resident see on a daily basis drug dealing and young people hanging around the area. However they don’t see agencies working with them. Questions have been asked by many residents, why aren’t the young people in College or in employment so that they don’t get into drugs.
PLEASE, PLEASE come and help and support us to tackle this problem. It has already destroyed many people’s lives and we don’t want to see any more life being destroyed.
2/08/2008 at 10:44